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Girl in Bonn is vaccinated (symbol picture)
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Ute Grabowsky / photothek / imago images
The federal and state health ministers want to advise on corona vaccination offers for children and adolescents this Monday.
The Federal Ministry of Health already wrote to the federal states in advance: "All federal states will now offer vaccinations for 12 to 17-year-olds in the vaccination centers."
The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach considers this to be appropriate.
That politics is now creating facts is right, Lauterbach said on Deutschlandfunk before the health ministers' conference on the topic.
The main studies on vaccinating children showed that infection with the delta variant of the coronavirus was more dangerous than vaccination.
Scientifically, he clearly came to the conclusion that vaccinations help children.
The US health authority CDC, which probably has the best experts in the world, recommends vaccinating children.
More than six million children have been vaccinated in the USA, and immunization has been well studied here.
In Germany, one in five young people between the ages of twelve and 17 have now received their first vaccination against the corona virus, tweeted Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) on Saturday.
In absolute numbers there are 900,000.
In May, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the Covid-19 vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer for children and adolescents from the age of twelve, and the approval for Moderna followed a few days ago.
In Germany, the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has so far only recommended vaccination, despite intense political pressure, primarily to children and adolescents with certain pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or obesity, who have an increased risk of a severe course.
Lauterbach said that the Stiko represented an "outsider position" here.
Müller points out high incidences in young people
Berlin's governing mayor Michael Müller (SPD) also called for a vaccination offer for children and adolescents.
"If we have the chance, then we should use it," said the SPD politician, who is currently chairing the Prime Minister's Conference, in the ARD.
There are findings that children and adolescents also suffer from long-term consequences of a corona infection.
At the same time, the vaccination itself is not as risky as some feared.
Müller refers to Berlin, where the incidence among 15 to 25-year-olds is twice to four times as high as among the other population groups.
"To react to it and to make an offer - it is not an obligation - that you can get vaccinated anywhere, I find that very appropriate."
Stiko defends itself against pressure from politics
Despite repeated demands from politicians, the Vaccination Commission is sticking to its wait-and-see attitude towards vaccinating children and adolescents.
Stiko chairman Thomas Mertens told the broadcaster NDR Info on Monday that there was still too little data on possible consequential health problems for 12 to 17 year olds.
"We say we cannot make a general recommendation as long as we do not have the necessary data security in this regard."
Political pressure for a quick decision has no influence on the Stiko, Mertens made it clear.
"It may well be that we will change our recommendation, but certainly not because politicians have spoken out," said the Stiko chairman.
lukewarm / dpa
